Michael P. Carey

Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents: Negative Affectivity and the Utility of Self-Reports.

Self-reported depression and anxiety were examined in 233 inpatient children diagnosed with either an anxiety disorder or a depressive disorder. Depressed children reported more problems related to a loss of interest and low motivation, and they had a more negative view of themselves. Anxious children reported more worry about the future, their well-being, and the reactions of others. The groups did not differ in the degree of depressed affect reported in terms of being sad, lethargic, bothered by things, or feeling alone and isolated. These findings suggest that a general negative affectivity component is common to both anxiety and depression disorders and measures. The results demonstrate that anxiety and depression in children have distinguishing features that can be measured by common self-report instruments, and the findings indicate that 1 factor that may distinguish between anxiety and depression in children is positive affectivity.

Developmental Differences in the Factor Structure of the Children's Depression Inventory

The factorstructure of theChildrens Depression Inventory (GDI), the most widely used self-report measure of depression for children, has been studied, but we still know relatively little about how developmental differences relate to CD1 structure. Here, we evaluated whether the GDI factor structure differed in large samples of clinic-referred children versus adolescents. Our results indicated real but modest differences. Both groups produced 5 first-order factors, but the composition of the factors differed somewhat for children versus adolescents. Both groups also produced a 2nd-order, general depression factor, although items loading on the factor differed somewhat for the 2 groups: For children but not adolescents, several externalizing behavior items (e.g., / never do what I am told} loaded on the general factor: in contrast, for adolescents but not children, several vegetative items (e.g.. / am tired all the time} loaded on the general factor. Overall, the child-factor pattern appeared to involve fewer CD1 items than did the adolescent pattern.

Comparison of Korean-American adoptees and biological children of their adoptive parents: a pilot study.

This study compared a small group of Korean-American adoptees with their adoptive siblings who are biological children of the adoptive parents with respect to their psychosocial adjustment. Eighteen Korean-American adoptees were compared with nine biological children by a structured demographic, medical, clinical survey form and the Child Behavior Checklist-Parent Form (CBCL-P). The parents did not raise any more concerns about the adjustment of adopted children than their biological children. On the CBCL-P, the two groups did not differ significantly in competence T-scores, total behavioral problems, broad band T-scores and the total number of problem behaviors except for lower social competence in adopted children and a higher internalization score in biological children. In conclusion, the international adoptees, the Korean-American children have adjusted well during their early childhood after early adoption. Further studies employing a larger sample are warranted to better understand the international adoption practice.

Relation between differential emotions and depression in emotionally disturbed children and adolescents.

Differential emotions theory (Izard, 1972) provides a conceptual framework for the role of emotions in affective disorders. The present study investigated the relation of emotions to depression in a sample of child and adolescent psychiatric inpatients (N = 145). Findings indicate that shyness, anger, enjoyment, and shame explained 51.4% of the variance in depression scores. Furthermore, profiles of emotions experienced by youths with a depressive disorder differed significantly from emotion profiles of nondepressed youths on the following emotions: enjoyment, surprise, sadness, anger, shame, shyness, guilt, and self-directed hostility. Differential emotions also correctly classified 80.0% of depressed and nondepressed subjects into their respective groups.

Aggression in Inpatient Adolescents: The Effects of Gender and Depression.

Differences in aggressive behavior were examined in a primarily White sample of 84 thirteen- to seventeen-year-old depressed and nondepressed adolescent inpatients. Results indicate that depression and gender interact significantly; females with depression demonstrated more physical aggression than nondepressed females, and males with depression demonstrated less aggression than nondepressed males. These results indicate that depression is a greater risk factor for physical aggression in treatment-seeking female, compared to male, adolescents.

The Relationship of Adolescent Personality and Family Environment to Psychiatric Diagnosis

This study examines the relationship of adolescent personality and family environment to psychiatric diagnosis in 170 adolescents admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit. Patients were administered the Child Assessment Schedule (CAS), the family Environment Scale (FES), and the Millon Adolescent Personality Inventory (MAPI). Adolescent personality and/or family environment were related to 1) major depression, conduct disorder, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in both boys and girls, 2) oppositional defiant disorder, post traumatic stress disorder and overanxious disorder in girls, and 3) dysthymic disorder and alcohol use in boys. The study empirically shows the relationship of both personality and family environment in psychiatric diagnoses.

Differential emotions theory: relative contribution of emotion, cognition, and behavior to the prediction of depressive symptomatology in non-referred adolescents.

This study examined the relative contribution of emotions, cognition, and behavior to depressive symptomatology with 80 non-referred adolescents. Differential emotions theory emphasized emotions but pointed to the importance of behavioral and cognitive variables. Subjects completed self-rating scales, theoretically related to depression and differential emotions theory, assessing depressive symptomatology, emotions, automatic dysfunctional thoughts, and activity. Two hierarchical multiple regression models entered the emotional variables first but varied the entry of behavioral and cognitive variables. The findings emphasized the interplay between emotion and behavior, and provided equivocal support for the role of cognition.

Additional Study of the Youth–Depression Adjective Check List

Replicated and extended aspects of determinations of reliability and validity for the State version of the Youth-Depression Adjective Check List. Students from Grades 9 through 12 (64 girls and 41 boys) completed the State version and the Adolescent Activities Checklist on each of 12 consecutive days and completed the Trait version, the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List–Revised Grade 6, and the Adolescent Activities Checklist at the beginning and the end of the study. Good reliability and validity of the State version were confirmed and extended, and preliminary information on characteristics of the Trait version of the Youth–Depression Adjective Check List also was presented. The State version seems suitable for use in research with adolescents and preadolescents. More study of the Trait version is recommended.